Pre-Shot Routine As A Reaction Trigger: How To Develop Instinct In A Static-Ball Sport By:Mason Champion, PGA

Golf is unique as a "static-ball sport." There is no reactionary component inherent to the game - no instinct that dictates your movement. The ball is not being thrown to you; you are not throwing it to anyone else; nobody is running at or around you. In effect, nothing happens until you swing the club.

There are a few instances in other sports where situations like this occur. In baseball, a pitcher on the mound has complete control of the game - nothing happens until he decides to throw the ball. A tennis player serving is also similar in this regard - as is a basketball player at the foul line. If you examine athletes who excel in these areas - successful free throw shooters, successful pitchers, and successful servers - you will notice a common incorporation of a pre-shot routine. It is this routine that acts as a trigger for reaction.

Effectively, the golfer begins to react instinctively to the pre-shot routine that he has established. Without the routine, the golfer is merely swinging blindly and fails to establish true consistency. Therefore, it is important that you develop a pre-shot routine as you progress in your game development. Every shot in practice and in competition should follow this routine - and it should become deeply engrained in your game.